Centre for Criminology bloghttps://www.law.ox.ac.uk/centres-institutes/centre-criminology/blog
enHow Gangsters Become Jihadists (And Why Most Don’t): Bourdieu, Criminology, and the Crime-Terror Nexus, Sveinung Sandberg, University of Oslohttps://www.law.ox.ac.uk/centres-institutes/centre-criminology/blog/2018/11/how-gangsters-become-jihadists-and-why-most-dont
<p><a href="https://www.jus.uio.no/ikrs/english/people/aca/sveinus/">Sveinung Sandberg</a> is a professor from the University of Oslo’s Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law. His three major research projects include examining street culture from a Bourdieusian perspective; the sociology of contemporary cannabis use; and the development of the narrative criminology theoretical framework. His All Souls seminar brought aspects of these projects together to explain how gangsters become jihadists—and why most don’t.</p><p>A recording of this talk is available <a href="https://media.podcasts.ox.ac.uk/crim/general/2018-10-25-crim-sveinung-sandberg.mp3">here</a>.</p>Mon, 05 Nov 2018 15:46:09 +0000Toni Brunton-Douglas19899 at https://www.law.ox.ac.ukSveinung Sandberg is a professor from the University of Oslo’s Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law. His three major research projects include examining street culture from a Bourdieusian perspective; the sociology of contemporary cannabis use; and the development of the narrative criminology theoretical framework. His All Souls seminar brought aspects of these projects together to explain how gangsters become jihadists—and why most don’t.

]]>Remote islands as a laboratory for studying policing: The role of the social and natural environmenthttps://www.law.ox.ac.uk/centres-institutes/centre-criminology/blog/2018/10/remote-islands-laboratory-studying-policing-role
The All Souls Lecture Series was kicked off on 11 October with an engaging talk on ‘Criminology at the periphery: understanding police work in the remote Northern islands of Scotland’ by Dr Anna Souhami, Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh School of Law. Drawing on her ethnographic research in Shetland and the Western Isles, she made us questionTue, 23 Oct 2018 13:48:29 +0100Katharine Hoeger19802 at https://www.law.ox.ac.ukThe All Souls Lecture Series was kicked off on 11 October with an engaging talk on ‘Criminology at the periphery: understanding police work in the remote Northern islands of Scotland’ by Dr Anna Souhami, Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh School of Law. Drawing on her ethnographic research in Shetland and the Western Isles, she made us question our understanding of ‘place’ and what it means when applied to criminological research. Dr Souhami began with the idea that there are limitations to our conceptual vocabulary, particularly within research that considers urban policing as the norm. Islands have been used as laboratories to test theories in the natural sciences, and Dr Souhami utilises a similar approach in order to ‘explore the blind spots in the way we think’ about policing.

A change in policy forms the backdrop of this project. When Police Scotland, a centralised, national force, was created in 2013, there were concerns about the potential ‘strathclydisation’ of the police. This term suggested that the Strathclyde Police Force based in Glasgow could dictate the strategy and practices of policing conducted across the country. Focusing particularly on her research in Shetland, Dr Souhami introduced her audience to life on a remote island and described what the maintenance of order looks like when ‘stuck on a rock.’ The first theme she discussed was that of ‘remoteness’ in a place where it can take 12 hours, including a boat ride that costs 300 Pounds each way, to get to the ‘mainland’. However, this ‘remoteness’ also allowed for the development of a robust community with a strong local identity. Her research illustrates how such a peculiar environment can shape an officer’s perception of their social world, and their role within it, which is then translated into real-world practice.

Given the small, scattered population and relatively low crime rate in Shetland, there are only a small number of officers, no specialised units, and no custody officers. This means that officers handle issues ranging from drug use to maritime crime, and if they do choose to arrest someone, this takes over their entire shift. Officers stationed in Shetland are unlikely to have been born there, and so their acceptance into this close-knit community is necessary to overcome suspicions of ‘outsiders’ interfering with life on the archipelago. Given Shetland’s small size and interdependence, all residents are subject to observation and inspection by one another. Dr Souhami described how, beyond the potential experience of exclusion and eventual loneliness, officers would not be able to do their job without community acceptance and cooperation.

She also explained the way in which gossip, though not malicious, could be thought of as a tool of social control. She introduced numerous anecdotes from her own experiences during the research. Since Dr Souhami conducted over 600 hours of observational research and interviews and attended community meetings, there were many from which to choose. There was her discovery that the binoculars she noticed were not meant for bird watching, but rather to keep an eye on the people living there, and her own turning point towards being accepted by the community spurred by attending weekly dance classes at the social hall (and ‘getting a grilling’ during the St Bernard’s Waltz). One of the most intriguing descriptions was that of the Up Helly Aa Festival, born from their Norse heritage, which is a tourist attraction and centrepiece of life on Shetland. Dr Souhami recounted her participation as a host of an event associated with this Viking fire festival, and the 10-foot-high billboard erected in the town centre detailing embarrassing stories about the residents from that year. These embarrassing stories were also acted out in a sketch, highlighting the strong community hold and intense scrutiny experienced by Shetland’s inhabitants.

Returning to the importance of acceptance, officers are thought to police the residents of Shetland by consent. Dr Souhami discussed this in reference to Spark’s and Bottom’s work involving the ‘mutual negotiation of order’ in prison. Community members wield social power, meaning that they have control over the officers’ experiences on Shetland, and do not want newcomers to change things. She spoke about how the islanders described Shetland as ‘policing itself,’ with simply the physical presence of an officer affecting their actions. This could be considered as a form of ‘community policing’, although this is not how most researchers would understand the term. According to her research, officers spoke with humanity about the individuals they policed, thinking about the entire person rather than the crime they may have committed. Even someone who had physically assaulted an officer was described with empathy and respect, as if he was part of the family.

Notably, her theme of ‘policing as an archipelago’ showed that although officers on Shetland are isolated in some ways, core policing goals and targets were still translated onto the archipelago, with adjustments made using the conditions given by the community. Dr Souhami presented one example of an officer who had given his wife a ticket to make himself ‘look busy’. However, officers were generally reluctant to use sanctions with the aim of meeting a target. Most importantly, since officers on Shetland do not have the ability to call for back up and depend on community consent, de-escalation techniques prevail. The officers’ treatment of residents like family, reluctance to sanction, and focus on de-escalation mark subtle but important differences from mainland policing. It is clear that policing on remote islands is not a ‘clone’ of the mainland, but questions remain about whether this form of policing develops from ‘adaptive strategy’, or if the unusual environment produces something fundamentally different from conventional urban policing models.

Dr Souhami concluded with a discussion about the sky, which ‘is not just scenery’ and has significance for the everyday life of these officers. She explained how the intense darkness, black fog, the northern lights, and other aspect of the natural environment are fundamental to the way in which Shetland officers think, speak, and act. Officers describe the moon as having a direct effect on people’s behaviour, and the way in which the darkness, colourlessness, and cloud cover contribute to experiences of claustrophobia. This environmental experience acts as constant ‘background noise’ to the way officers think about their work.

Overall, those in the audience were given a lot to consider, including the limits of our previously held notions and conceptual vocabulary around policing. By exploring the role of the social and natural environment in shaping policing, this lecture encourages us to think more about participation and the visceral experience of ‘place’ both in our research and in everyday lives.

Post by Katharine Hoeger, DPhil candidate at the Centre for Criminology

]]>Is restorative justice middle-class justice? https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/centres-institutes/centre-criminology/blog/2018/10/restorative-justice-middle-class-justice
<p>Restorative justice often involves victims, offenders, and community members meeting to discuss the effects of harmful behaviour and finding ways for offenders to make amends. Participants might be asked questions by a facilitator such as <em>What happened? What were you thinking of or feeling at the time/since? Who has been affected? </em>It is plausible to think that people with greater verbal ability will be able to give more expressive – and therefore effective – answers to such questions. This is problematic if socioeconomic background affects an individual’s linguistic development.</p>Mon, 22 Oct 2018 12:26:25 +0100Roxana Willis19788 at https://www.law.ox.ac.ukRestorative justice often involves victims, offenders, and community members meeting to discuss the effects of harmful behaviour and finding ways for offenders to make amends. Participants might be asked questions by a facilitator such as What happened? What were you thinking of or feeling at the time/since? Who has been affected? It is plausible to think that people with greater verbal ability will be able to give more expressive – and therefore effective – answers to such questions. This is problematic if socioeconomic background affects an individual’s linguistic development.]]>Academic Lessons Under the Tuscan Sun: A Snapshot from the Monash University Graduate Writing Workshop 2018https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/centres-institutes/centre-criminology/blog/2018/08/academic-lessons-under-tuscan-sun-snapshot-monash
<p>This post describes my experience at the Graduate Writing and Publishing Workshop organised by Monash University in their Prato Campus between 2nd and 4th July 2018. My attendance at the workshop was enabled by a research collaboration between the Centre for Criminology (University of Oxford) and Monash University, initiated under the <a href="https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/research-and-subject-groups/criminal-justice-hub/partner-institutions">Global Criminal Justice Hub</a> at Oxford. </p>Tue, 14 Aug 2018 14:00:53 +0100Arushi Garg19220 at https://www.law.ox.ac.ukThis post describes my experience at the Graduate Writing and Publishing Workshop organised by Monash University in their Prato Campus between 2nd and 4th July 2018. My attendance at the workshop was enabled by a research collaboration between the Centre for Criminology (University of Oxford) and Monash University, initiated under the Global Criminal Justice Hub at Oxford. ]]>Reflections on the Global Criminal Justice Early Careers Conference 2018https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/centres-institutes/centre-criminology/blog/2018/08/reflections-global-criminal-justice-early-careers
On 28 and 29 June, 2018, the Centre for Criminology hosted a Global Criminal Justice Early Careers Conference (Global CJECC) for early career scholars as part of the Centre’s Global Criminal Justice Hub, which seeks to facilitate international intellectual exchange.The first day of the conference was oriented toward career progression and development, with speakers from Routledge and OxfordThu, 02 Aug 2018 13:40:12 +0100Jenna Milani19195 at https://www.law.ox.ac.ukOn 28 and 29 June, 2018, the Centre for Criminology hosted a Global Criminal Justice Early Careers Conference (Global CJECC) for early career scholars as part of the Centre’s Global Criminal Justice Hub, which seeks to facilitate international intellectual exchange.

The first day of the conference was oriented toward career progression and development, with speakers from Routledge and Oxford University Press discussing the in’s and out’s of turning a thesis into a monograph and securing a book contract. Professors Mary Bosworth, Ian Loader and Lucia Zedner then discussed the process of academic publishing, applying for post-doctorate positions, and professional prospects in academia. Professor Rachel Condry closed the day with an early career guide to research impact.

The second day of the conference was dedicated to the presentation of MPhil, DPhil, and post-doctoral research led by students from the University of Oxford and the University of Monash, a Global Criminal Justice Hub partner institution. Themes included Criminology at the Margins, the Academy in the Wider World, Law in Action, and Researching Gender. Though organised by the Centre for Criminology, the conference attracted participants from a range of different academic fields and backgrounds, from philosophy, history, and international relations, to law and literature. Students from both Oxford and Monash presented on topics ranging from the power dynamics within immigration detention centres, rape cases in Indian courts and oral history on domestic violence to the ways in which economic imperatives and university rankings can shape the quality of research. It was this interdisciplinary and varied nature of the conference which made it so enriching.

Not only were early career scholars exposed to the types of research and methodologies prioritised by different fields and universities, but also the commonalities and shared experiences: the same pressures and stumbling blocks experienced at every level, in any field. Senior academics, students and publishers themselves discussed professional rejection, writer’s block, and balancing teaching, research and administrative commitments. Common themes related to research ethics and impostor syndrome emerged, as well as the corresponding need for reflexivity in research, to be mindful of the power dynamics between researcher and researched, and the importance of peer support and mentorship. Many of these discussions not only occurred in the panel sessions, but in the coffee, tea, and interstitial breaks between panels, which allowed us to speak candidly about difficulties we face as researchers. In addition to allowing us the opportunity to present our work – and provide and receive feedback – to those outside our field and university, the conference helped to build a valuable peer and international exchange network.

Listing image taken by Laura Fritsch

]]>Building a new narrative around policing https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/centres-institutes/centre-criminology/blog/2018/07/building-new-narrative-around-policing
On February 21, 2018, Officer Mujahid Ramzziddin was killed while helping a woman escape domestic violence at the hands of her estranged husband.That morning, a neighbor asked Officer Ramzziddin to watch over her while she removed her belongings from her home. Though Officer Ramzziddin was off-duty at the time, he obliged. The neighbor’s husband, armed with a shotgun, ambushedMon, 16 Jul 2018 14:45:09 +0100Arthur Rizer19093 at https://www.law.ox.ac.ukOn February 21, 2018, Officer Mujahid Ramzziddin was killed while helping a woman escape domestic violence at the hands of her estranged husband.

That morning, a neighbor asked Officer Ramzziddin to watch over her while she removed her belongings from her home. Though Officer Ramzziddin was off-duty at the time, he obliged. The neighbor’s husband, armed with a shotgun, ambushed Officer Ramzziddin and killed him.

The incident offers further proof that, every day, police officers go above and beyond what is required of them – and make tremendous sacrifices – to fulfill their duty “to protect and to serve.” Yet to many – particularly those within communities of color – a different narrative dominates the public image of police. This narrative points to instances in which the police have neglected their duty to protect – in places like Ferguson, Sacramento and Baltimore. It is supplemented by the associated images of police wearing military gear and armament while driving vehicles originally meant for conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most importantly, the narrative points to a fractured trust in our police forces today.

Most police officers serve with the courage and dedication of Officer Ramzziddin: putting their lives on the line day-in and day-out to ensure the safety of those they serve. And like Officer Ramzziddin, many – such as Baltimore County Officer Amy Caprio – make the ultimate sacrifice while performing their sworn duty. Yet the militarization of police forces has increased opportunities for the misuse and abuse of police power, thus making our police officers’ jobs more difficult and, according to research, putting civilian lives at risk.

American society is not ill-fated to continue this policy or hopeless to change it. We can reverse some of the adverse consequences of police militarization and craft a new, more positive community narrative built on police heroism and trust in the following three ways:

First, we can create a resource-sharing policy that is thorough and judicious. The U.S. federal government’s 1033 Program currently allows law enforcement agencies to obtain excess military equipment “for bona fide law enforcement purposes that assist in their arrest and apprehension mission.” And although President Obama issued an executive order mandating the restriction of 1033 sales, it was merely window dressing, not a comprehensive policy change.

In fact, the new policy didn’t really restrict the use of such equipment; it only limited the ability of local police departments to use equitable sharing proceeds to purchase several categories of military equipment. On the heels of a perceived policy victory, advocates for restricted sales cheered – yet, in reality, the total value of equipment distributed through the 1033 Program grew the year after the order was signed.

In addition to improving police resource-sharing policy, policymakers should identify the needs and threats that the community applying for military resources faces. It might be appropriate for highly trained police in jurisdictions with larger populaces, such as New York City, to have some military-grade equipment, since they are more likely to deal with terrorist threats. However, small cities like Granite City, Illinois, with populations more akin to that of a college campus, doubtfully have the need for a military armored vehicle or more than 25 fully-automatic assault rifles. Newly formulated policy must make a clear distinction between the mission and duties attributed to police “blues,” notably meant “to protect and to serve” the community, and those attributed to military “greens,” traditionally meant to “engage and destroy” the enemy. Moreover, policy must note how conflating these two missions negatively impacts an officer’s ability to carry out his policing duty.

Second, police forces should enact comprehensive hiring strategies to select candidates that are attracted to the values of duty and sacrifice rather than to the power accorded to those who wield a weapon. While many observers have pointed out how the lack of females and minorities in local police forces hurts police effectiveness, few have noticed that some police departments also filter out candidates with higher intelligence scores.

Recent research, however, suggests that general intelligence can predict emotional intelligence – one’s “set of abilities for perceiving, using, understanding, and managing emotions.” Researchers have found that low levels of emotional intelligence are associated with higher levels of aggression and bullying, whereas high levels of emotional intelligence are associated with lower levels of aggression.

In light of these findings, the practice of filtering out high-IQ candidates presents police forces with a critical predicament: namely, that at the same time police militarization requires higher levels of emotional intelligence to assess the best point of action, some police forces are limiting their applicant pool with “intelligence caps.” This is a practice that must end.

Third, police forces should increase professional development opportunities for officers. Most police training focuses on technical development – for example, becoming an accurate shot or learning how to handle new equipment. Even senior leaders may have few opportunities to learn more about how to manage people, from fostering relationships with their community to promoting force buy-in and compliance with policy.

The further professionalization of policing would help officers see military equipment more responsibly as a tool rather than as a “weapon system.” In fact, a 2007 study found that police officers with any level of higher education were less likely than those with only a high school education to use verbal force in their interactions with citizens. Officers with a four-year degree were also less likely to use physical force as a method of coercion. Later findings suggest that officers with higher levels of education are less likely to demonstrate attitudes that support the abuse of police authority.

The sacrifice of our police officers should not go unnoticed. The woman saved by Officer Ramzzaddin certainly will never forget his sacrifice. “I pray for the Ramzziddiw’s [sic] family,” she noted on her Facebook page after the attack, “and thank Cpl. Ramzziddiw [sic] for saving my life and allowing me to see my children again.”

But neither should we ignore the tragedy suffered by the families and communities of Michael Brown, Daniel Shaver and Stephon Clark. Judicious policy, strategic recruiting and the further professionalization of policing all present critical opportunities to repair the fractures between the police and the communities they serve – and to restore public trust in law enforcement.

Some localities have already embarked on this mission. In 2015, Montana passed a law that banned police purchase or acquisition of several types of military equipment, including armored vehicles and combat-configured aircraft. A New Jersey law requires the public to agree that a 1033 acquisition is necessary before a locality receives military equipment. It also increases program transparency by mandating that local governing bodies approve of acquisitions.

These instances of change show that a new narrative can be created. But the choice is up to citizens at home.

Arthur Rizer is a DPhil student at the Centre for Criminology. Arthur is also the criminal justice policy director at the R Street Institute, a Washington D.C.-based think tank (@arthurrizer). Emily Mooney (@emilymmooney) is a justice policy associate at the R Street Institute.

]]>What happens when billions of dollars in military equipment are transferred to local police departmentshttps://www.law.ox.ac.uk/centres-institutes/centre-criminology/blog/2018/06/what-happens-when-billions-dollars-military
Since the inception of the federal government’s 1033 Program, the Defense Logistics Agency’s Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO) has transferred billions of dollars in Department of Defense (DOD) equipment to law enforcement agencies across the United States. As of March 31, participating agencies in U.S. states and territories hold over $1.6 billion of LESO-accountable property.Upon first glance, thisThu, 28 Jun 2018 16:46:52 +0100Arthur Rizer19014 at https://www.law.ox.ac.ukSince the inception of the federal government’s 1033 Program, the Defense Logistics Agency’s Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO) has transferred billions of dollars in Department of Defense (DOD) equipment to law enforcement agencies across the United States. As of March 31, participating agencies in U.S. states and territories hold over $1.6 billion of LESO-accountable property.

Upon first glance, this policy seems like a win-win for all – police forces get useful DOD hand-me-downs along with more powerful, more lethal equipment with which to protect their localities during an era in which threats to public safety seem to be growing exponentially. At the same time, the military gets rid of excess or tenured equipment no longer relevant to their missions. And taxpayers see the equipment in which they invested repurposed, seemingly cutting down on government waste.

In some instances, that first glance may prove an accurate picture. A police force in Mississippi, for example, was able to acquire computers, life vests, marine radios and more through the program, while Maine’s Sanford Police Department was able to procure a printer, scanner and copy machine all-in-one, free of charge.

This benign equipment provides clear value to police forces. But what happens when equipment that was designed for war-fighting is transferred to domestic police departments?

A 2014 New York Times investigative report revealed that, since 2006, police departments had acquired more than 430 Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected armored vehicles (MRAPs), 530 military aircraft and 93,760 machine guns. The average MRAP was originally produced for the DOD at a sticker price of roughly $1 million.

In the eyes of law-enforcement beneficiaries, these handouts effectively turned Uncle Sam into Santa Claus. Unfortunately for police forces and the communities they serve, Uncle Sam’s secondhand gifts often come with mixed terms.

First, this equipment isn’t truly free – and can lead to an increase in government waste. Police forces still need to pay for shipping and transportation costs, as well as general maintenance, after they’ve acquired the property. More often than not, armored vehicles sit unused, taking up critical storage space – after all, there are few prudent reasons why U.S. police forces would need protection from landmines. Places such as Livingston County and Howard County, in contrast, have decided the local parade or festival is reason enough to bring out a vehicle which, in some cases, was designed to use jet-engine fuel and only gets 5.8 miles to the gallon.

Meanwhile, other departments have used their new armored vehicles for purposes inappropriate for the police mission.

Ferguson, Missouri, presents the most cited case in point. When the St. Louis County police force rolled out its armored vehicles amid public outcry following the police shooting of Michael Brown, their vehicles did not serve to protect the public from violent protests. Rather, they served to intimidate and, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Justice, actually increased tensions between the police and the community. While armored vehicles may serve an important purpose in exceptional cases, the majority of the time, this equipment is unsuitable for routine policing.

Camouflage was also crafted with a purpose contradictory to the police agenda. Camouflage – or “cammies,” in Marine Corps vernacular – have one essential purpose: to help the wearer blend in to his or her environment to avoid detection. This goal is critical in Iraq or Afghanistan, where service members fight amid rugged terrain in shades of tan, brown and green. But cammies have little value when used in an urban landscape of asphalt and concrete.

Moreover, the purpose of police uniforms has traditionally been the opposite of camouflaging them. Instead of helping officers blend in, police uniforms have served to clearly identify officers on the theory that a recognizable police presence would dissuade illegal activity and allow the public to more easily seek help in times of danger. Even today, “hot spots” policing – which seeks to reduce criminal activity by concentrating police presence in areas with higher levels of crime – is built on this premise. Recent research has provided evidence that this method is more effective at reducing crime than traditional policing. Military camouflage works against this aim by promoting misidentification and confusion among the public.

So why are police wearing military camouflage in the first place? The most obvious answer is that “free” uniforms are an attractive offer for many departments, but a more unsettling reason for this trend may be the “primal fear it instills in the public.”

In the past, lawmakers have specifically tried to avoid this kind of mission confusion. Following the conclusion of the Civil War and Union occupation of the South, Congress passed the Posse Comitatus Act, which made it illegal for the military to directly carry out local law enforcement missions. Though the law was part of a political compromise to bring the South back into the fold, lawmakers also crafted the Act based on their belief that localities could not heal if they felt occupied by the enemy. Many believe the same principle holds true today with communities of color, which may be unable to heal if their members feel occupied by a police presence that is failing to protect them. Camouflage police uniforms, therefore, only exacerbate existing tensions between these communities and law enforcement.

Assault rifles can also be problematic for policing. While they may be useful in cases such as mass shootings or other terrorist attacks, the utility of obtaining an additional assault rifle should be assessed prior to police acquisition and deployment on calls for service. Assault rifles are not all the same, and each has a specific impact on a police officer’s ability to do his job. The M-4, for example, was crafted for close-quarter combat and can fire approximately 800 rounds per minute with a maximum effective range of about five football fields (500 meters) without the use of a scope. The M-4’s high penetration power means that a single round could – and has – gone through multiple bodies and walls before its damage is complete.

On the battlefield, more wounded enemy combatants are how armies win wars. But in residential neighborhoods, unintended casualties are a cause for despair. Moreover, the M-4 is a two-handed weapon system, which physically restricts an officer’s ability to choose a less-lethal method of force. While a few extreme cases may require officers to carry assault rifles with a sustained rate of fire, high penetration power and accuracy up to half a mile, routine policing does not. This begs the question of whether local police forces should be procuring the tens of thousands of assault rifles they have today.

On the surface, granting billions of dollars of military-grade equipment that the military no longer needs to local police forces seems like a prudent policy. But, practically speaking, a significant portion of military equipment is extremely inappropriate for routine policing. Policymakers and local police departments should carefully consider what equipment is necessary to carry out the police mission in the face of rising public distrust of the law enforcement community.

Arthur Rizer is a DPhil student at the Centre for Criminology. Arthur is also the criminal justice policy director at the R Street Institute, a Washington D.C. based think tank and a former police officer and prosecutor (@arthurrizer). Emily Mooney is a justice policy associate at the R Street Institute (@emilymmooney).

]]>‘Reflections on Decolonial Thought and Student Activism’https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/centres-institutes/centre-criminology/blog/2018/06/reflections-decolonial-thought-and-student
<p>Ndjodi Latenda Ndeunyema</p>Wed, 27 Jun 2018 12:24:18 +0100Austin Powell19010 at https://www.law.ox.ac.ukNdjodi Latenda Ndeunyema]]>'What is Queer Criminology?'https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/centres-institutes/centre-criminology/blog/2018/06/what-queer-criminology
Mia Harris is a D.Phil candidate at the University of Oxford. She was invited to present her research about the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender prisoners in England and Wales at the communication skills seminar held on May 15th, 2018.&nbsp;According to the newspaper The Sunday Times, the number of transgender inmates in England and Wales has gone fromTue, 19 Jun 2018 12:40:07 +0100Alessandra Prezepiorski Lemos18981 at https://www.law.ox.ac.ukMia Harris is a D.Phil candidate at the University of Oxford. She was invited to present her research about the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender prisoners in England and Wales at the communication skills seminar held on May 15th, 2018.

According to the newspaper The Sunday Times, the number of transgender inmates in England and Wales has gone from 70 in March-April 2016 to 125 in 2017, an increase of 80%. Yet, few researches have been carried out about the experiences of transgender people or, more broadly speaking, of the LGBTI community in prisons. Mia Harris D.Phil´s research is an exception to this pattern. Her current work focuses on the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in prisons in England and Wales. She conducted interviews in male and female prisons to shed some light on topics such as LGBTI sexual experiences in prison, discrimination, and pathways to crime.

The innovative character of her research is not limited to the topic chosen. Her research is being carried out within the framework of queer criminology, a field of criminology that focuses on the intersections among gender, sexual minorities, and the criminal justice system.

Throughout her lecture, Harris asked the audience how they defined some key concepts of her research. Besides being an engaging approach, it also reinforced the discursive aspect of the concepts transgender and gender. She clarified that the transgender definition is not related to sexuality but gender and that gender is a non-binary concept, even though people tend to identify themselves using mostly the categories male and female. To further her point, she commented that Facebook, for instance, has 71 gender options.

After defining the main concepts used in her research, Harris devoted the rest of her presentation to discuss some of her findings. About the topic sexual life in prisons, she explained that even though having sex in prisons is not unlawful, there is still some taboo revolving around it and, in some prisons, even repression. According to her findings, this leads to the problematic consequence of many prisoners not feeling comfortable in asking for condoms or other contraceptives.

Harris also highlighted the problem of access to clothes and accessories that some LGBTI inmates suffer during their imprisonment time. Some were denied wigs because they could facilitate a prison break, others were denied tights because they could be used to produce alcohol in prison. Curiously, cis women also experienced some control over the clothes they could wear while doing their time. Harris talked about the case of a cis woman who wanted to wear boxers and had her request denied. This comment showcases how prisons are still spaces that perpetuate gender normativity.

Another topic deeply discussed in the seminar was the position of vulnerability of the LGBTI community within prisons. The rates of self-harm, suicide, violence, and bullying are high and are increasing due to budget cuts and lack of resources to address their special needs. On a more positive tone, she talked about the work of LGBTI group supports in prisons and how they improve the living conditions of this vulnerable community.

By the end of the seminar, Harris expressed her will to use the knowledge acquired through her research to push for changes. She wants to influence policymakers and organizations to provide help to and to improve the living conditions of the LGBTI community inside and outside prison.

A great researcher is a person who has the capacity of observing reality, perceiving its problems, and contributing to the solution of them. Harris appears to have all these qualities besides being a great orator. We can only look forward to reading her thesis and the impact that it will cause not only in the criminological field, but in society in general.

]]>An interaction with Home Box Office (HBO)https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/centres-institutes/centre-criminology/blog/2018/06/interaction-home-box-office-hbo
Currently I am conducting field research associated with the second year of my DPhil. My research project has brought me to three locations in the United States: the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in California, the Plano Police Department in Texas, and the Ferguson Police Department in Missouri. The project explores the extent to which police hiring and training practicesTue, 12 Jun 2018 14:37:09 +0100Matthew Bostrom18942 at https://www.law.ox.ac.ukCurrently I am conducting field research associated with the second year of my DPhil. My research project has brought me to three locations in the United States: the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in California, the Plano Police Department in Texas, and the Ferguson Police Department in Missouri. The project explores the extent to which police hiring and training practices can be aligned with community values. The overall aim is to reduce the tension and build trust between police officers and the communities they serve. As part of a process called character-based hiring, members of the community participate in focus groups to identify the character traits they most desire in their police officers.

On 1 December 2017, I received the following email:

Dear Sheriff Bostrom,

I hope this email finds you well. I am a documentary television producer on a brand new series for HBO about policing and policing reform. Over the course of the 10-part series, we are highlighting precincts, departments and programs that have demonstrated success in effective police work and building trust with the community. The series will use both humor as well as original reporting to highlight solutions that could potentially serve as models for other parts of the country. Here's a little more information about the show.

We came across the "character-based hiring" program that you initiated in Ramsey County and is being carried forward by current Sheriff Jack Serier. I was hoping to set up a call with you to learn more about the history of this program, the problems it tackled head on, as well as your current research at Oxford.

I very much appreciate you reviewing this request and I look forward to being in touch.

All best,

Shuchi TalatiDirector/Producer

In response to this request I arranged a telephone meeting and learned that Home Box Office (HBO) was producing a new program titled Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas. HBO described the series as follows:

Alate night series, Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas follows comedian and writer Wyatt Cenac as he explores America’s most pressing issues. Cenac is no stranger to late night comedy. As a longtime writer and correspondent for The Daily Show, hosted by Jon Stewart, he examined a wide range of social and cultural problems facing Americans.

Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas will feature documentary-style field reports that serve as the focal point of each episode. These segments will take him around the country, from suburban Minneapolis to downtown Cincinnati to rural Texas, as he investigates systemic issues from his unique perspective. Cenac will also tackle more benign problems and everyday inconveniences facing Americans, offering comedic solutions each episode.

Initially, I had significant reservations. How would HBO use humor to cover an important topic like increasing trust between the community and the police and simultaneously demonstrate respect for both? After numerous telephone interviews and email conversations, I agreed to participate and provided HBO with documents and data. We discussed in depth that the objective of my research is to test a pathway to increased police legitimacy which includes avenues for intentional inclusion of community voice, fair treatment, transparent communication, respectful attitude, shared values, and consistent behavior (i.e. procedural justice). A key element of this pathway begins with community input to shape police recruitment and hiring. Early indications show an increase in normative alignment, trust, and legitimacy.

On 18 January 2018, HBO arranged to have a four-member production crew fly from New York, New York to Los Angeles, California where they filmed a 90-minute on-camera interview with me and a 2-hour focus group meeting. HBO premiered the program on 13 April 2018. While the entire episode is approximately 30 minutes in length, I have included the 5-minute segment that refers to the research:

Although Mr. Cenac’s staff had gathered numerous details, spent hours interviewing and filming various aspects of the initiative, the episode’s engagement with the research project was quite limited. For instance, they di not include the association with the University of Oxford and the comprehensive fieldwork that is being undertaken in Los Angeles, Plano, and Ferguson. As we sometimes say in the United States, “That's Hollywood!” Nevertheless, in all three locations community members are enthusiastically participating in the focus groups and the departments are already actively implementing their input.